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“The
synagogue is where Jews are made, where the individual soul and the community
are joined. It is the place where modernity and eternity cross-fertilize,
where seeds of Jewish identity are sown. All other institutions in Jewish
life are created by Jews. Only the synagogue creates Jews, child by
child, family by family…” (Rabbi Alexander Schindler z”l, President Union for
Reform Judaism, 1973-1996)At Community Synagogue of Rye, our mission is to be a caring Jewish community
that adds meaning and purpose to your life.This means our focus is on relationships.We care about the people we seek to
engage.We want to listen to your
stories, to share ours and to join together to build a Jewish community that
enriches our lives.The following reading, adapted from “Siddur Sha’ar Zahav” of
Congregation Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco, CA articulates the sense of purpose
and belonging that we should seek to create and find here at Community
Synagogue of Rye.

"Here"

When the world is about to crush me with all of its weight, I find safety here.When people have been too cruel because of their ignorance, I find compassion here.When I feel a sense of helplessness during these uncertain
times, I find peace here.When I am lost and tossed-about in the day-to-day maze of
activity, I find direction here.When loneliness slowly creeps into my life like the evening
mist, I find community here.When I feel isolated at times, I find comfort here.When friends seem nowhere to be found in the daily grind, I find good friends here.When I sometimes lose sight of what I can do for the
community, I find purpose here.When I feel that my family is scattered – hundreds of miles
away, I find the nearness of family here.When the cacophony outside is too much and I need to be
soothed, I find beautiful music here.When I run around and take the simple things for granted, I find meaning here.When I am gone and have left only my name, I know that I will be remembered here.